Waiting in the Wings

Talking Pictures
RAJEEV MASAND

WHERE blockbusters have failed miserably, smaller films with newer actors have made decent money recently. Vikram Bhatt’s Raaz with relative newcomers like Dino Morea and Bipasha Basu is an undisputed success, and both Kuku Kohli’s Yeh Dil Aashiqana, and N Chandra’s Style are believed to have stacked up a reasonable profit for the film-makers.

While many would agree that this is then the best period for newcomers and wannashines, there are others who insist that the business continues to be partial to mostly newcomers with Bollywood connections. How else do you explain the hoardes of star-kids who’re waiting in the wings for the big bow? Everyone from Raj Babbar’s kids, to Vyjanthimala’s son is getting ready for their close-up. Here’s taking count of some new faces — star kids and outsiders — who could make waves in coming months...

Vivek Oberoi: Character actor Suresh Oberoi’s son will first be seen on the screen in Ramgopal Varma’s Company, where he’s pitted opposite such proven talents as Ajay Devgan, Mohanlal, Manisha Koirala and Seema Biswas. The actor was handpicked by Mani Ratnam to star in Sathiya, director Shaad Ali’s Hindi remake of the veteran filmmaker’s Tamil hit Alaipayuthe, and has been snapped up by several A-list film-makers, including Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Yash Chopra.

John Abraham: Until recently he was the country’s most talked-about male model, but he’s chucked up his rampwalking job for a go at the movies. Set to make his acting debut in Rahul Rawail’s Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon, a film that’s rumouredly quite similar in story to Gadar, John recently bagged a role in Vikram Bhatt’s Aitbaar in which he’ll co-star with Amitabh Bachchan and Bipasha Basu. Although you can’t vouch for his dialogue delivery and his accent, you can bet your last penny that he won’t have any problem warming up to the camera.

Nakul Arora: The chocolate-faced boy with the bulging biceps from those pop videos, Nakul claims he wasn’t particularly keen on jumping the filmi bandwagon. A successful businessman who models because ‘‘it’s fun’’, he says he finally took the bait when he was offered a starring role in what he describes as a ‘‘really interesting love story’’. Catch him in Tumse Achcha Kaun Hai. No idea how the film will fare, but early enquiries say he’s already caught the fancy of the teenage girl audience.

Arya Babbar: With such formidable acting talents for parents (daddy is screen actor Raj Babbar, mummy is theatre veteran Nadira Babbar), it was inevitable that their son would follow in their footsteps. First up, he’s starring in Raj Kanwar’s Ab Ke Baras, a typical masala flick with enough romance, naach-gaana and violence to keep front-benchers glued to their seats. He’s also in negotiations with leading film-makers looking for promising young actors to tap while they’re still in the early stages of their careers.

Amrita Arora: The former MTV veejay already has a bunch of films lined up, starting with the Forces of Nature-inspired romance, Kitne Door Kitne Paas opposite Fardeen Khan. She’s also in producer Feroz Nadiadwala’s Awara Pagal Deewana opposite Sunil Shetty, and older sister Malaika Arora insists she’s a natural.